a Pathan, originally from Kabul, and for some generations my ancestors have served the Chiefs of Multân. My father died by the side of Muzaffar Khân, in defending his fortress against the one-eyed Sikh; when after a six month's defence, Multân fell to Ranjit Singh; and my country was no longer an abode for me." I followed the heir of my Prince into captivity. The allowance granted to Sarfaraz Khân scarcely furnishes food and raiment for his household; how then are his retainers to subsist? A few of the bolder spirits manage to hang on; ostensibly we eat his bread, we are protected by his name; and, one of us being Baipari, and another having taken the Pahal, we profess to eke our means by trade. Under this guise, I will not conceal from my lord, that we levy contributions on the spoilers of our land. The ra'iyat, the traveller, the merchant, or the true believer, we touch not; but what mercy should the dogs of Sikhs expect at our hands?" Here my informant laid his hand on his talwar, and excited by his feelings, raised his voice beyond the cau tious and confidential tone in which he had been speaking: he paused, and I enquired, And do you not thus put your own lives in peril? Does the Maharajah keep so bad a watch over his subjects?" "We have friends at court," replied Chând Khân, " and we are cautious; when possible we perform our work secretly, and never shed blood except in self-defence, to put a witness out of the way: our dress is that of the accursed Sikhs, which is in itself a pass." "But," said I, can you with the costume assume the air and features of so peculiar a race?” "Most people be

lieve not, and in this mistake lies part of our safety; but can a person of the Sahib's discernment suppose that a people composed of the off-scouring of all other tribes, have not as much difference in their features as in their castes? Go to the bazâr, take any dirty, naked lūchā, twist up his hair, give him a lofty turban and a clean vest; comb out and lengthen his beard, and gird his loins with a yellow kamarband; put a clumsy sword by his side, and a long spear in his cowardly hand; set him on a strong, bony, twoyear-old horse, and you have a passable Sikh." Truly you are plain enough spoken, my friend." "But not too much so, my lord; I see by your kindling eye, that you delight in a stirring life; and could we count you and your bold party of our band, you would soon learn the secrets of our trade; my lord looks astonished at my boldness, but I am safe in the hands of an honest soldier.” (e) “You

are, my friend, but you will not long be so, if you thus trust every traveller: however, as you are communicative, tell me a little of how politics stand at court? Whose word and will are law? Whose friendship is desirable? Who best understands the Maharajah? For, in return for your confidence, I may tell you that I am a candidate for favour at court." Without hesitation Chând Khân gave me a "catalogue raisonné" of all the employés; plentifully bespattering them all with dirt, and giving a triple portion to those followers of the prophet who served the infidel tyrants.

Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Khalifa Nûrûdîn, brother of the faqîr Azîzûdîn; nothing daunted, my friend sat on while the preliminary speeches passed between the new visitor and myself, and then rose and took his leave.

The Khalifa (ƒ) is a wily, oily-faced man; I met him with as many flowers of eloquence as he bestowed on me, and while he hoped that this new bud of friendship would ripen into golden fruit, I trusted that the flag of my prosperity would be unfurled in the sunshine of his Excellency's favour. We then came to matters of business, and I soon made it worth the Khalifa's while to understand the necessity of introducing me to the Mahârâjah.

The next day but one was fixed for my appearance at court; attired and attended as when I entered Lâhaur, I proceeded to the palace. Before arriving there, I met Rânjît himself, returning from his morning's ride, and much as I had heard of the insignificance of his first appearance, it startled me; the more so, perhaps, from the contrast it presented to the wiry and athletic forms that surrounded him. He rode gracefully, on a handsome active horse, and was followed by his principal Sirdars, each with his silken chatha carried by a running footman, and the whole cortège followed by an escort of five hundred well mounted horsemen and as many foot; they consisted of all tribes and castes, Sikhs, Pathâns, Hindus, Gurkhâs, &c. all gaily attired in scarlet and yellow silk, the cavalry, sitting in high peaked saddles, and armed to the teeth with matchlock, pistol, blunderbuss, sword and spear; the others more lightly, but still efficiently armed: some few Akâlîs too were present, conspicuous by their high blue turbans, girdled with quoits; but more so, by their wild, maniac look, and insolent gestures. On seeing me approach, some of these hailed me with curses and abuse, but Azîzûdîn sent one of his orderlies to draw me off.

my

As the train approached the entrance to the Shâlimâr (g) gardens, the cavalry filed off, leaving the Maharajah, with his train, followed by the running footmen to pass through a lane, formed by a regiment of his newly-formed infantry, who received him with presented arms. I was kept at the gate for some minutes after the Maharajah had entered; and while thus detained, many of the soldiers broke their ranks and crowded round me; some gazed respectfully at my train and accoutrements, but more remarked with a sneer on my want of beard, and my half-european costume. Some of the horsemen also drew up, and were more especially insolent one of them, Nand Singh, second in command of one of the newly raised cavalry corps, (a scoundrel with whom I soon became better acquainted,) was the most forward; he was a smart, active young man, with a bold and dissolute cast of countenance; he commenced caracoling his spirited little nag in circles closer and closer round me, half muttering, half chaunting a ribbald song. As he neared me, I warned him that horse kicked; to this he deigned no answer, but after a little rode tilt by, grazing me, as if accidentally, with his steel clad shoulder. I touched the rein of my good steed, gave him half a turn, pressed him with my sword hand the veriest trifle on the loins, and with one tremendous kick he sent Nand Singh, horse and all, head over heels. A dozen swords were instantly drawn, and as many matchlocks presented at me, but my four stout followers closed around; and without affecting to believe my adversaries in earnest, I calmly expressed a hope that the fallen man was not hurt, regretting that he should not have taken my caution, and avoided my horse's heels. Whether owing to our firm aspect or to the royal vicinity, I know not; but the by-standars held off and treated us with vastly more civility during the few remaining minutes that I was kept waiting: and they looked with much curiosity when an or orderly of the Prince's, came to tell me I was summoned to the darbâr. When ushered in, I found the monarch seated in a golden chair, surrounded by about a dozen of his ministers; several reporters were in the distance, catching every word, and noting it in the "court circular" for transmission to every corner of the empire. As I entered, the Maharajah half arose, and greeted me with much courtesy; my nazar of a hundred-and-one rupees was removed, and I was told to be seated on the farsh, or carpet, near his Majesty; my own name and my father's, my place of birth, and my

age, were asked and told, and it was explained that though a wilâyti I was not an Englishman. I was then asked what I knew? what I could do? and what I wanted? all in a breath; and my reply was to the effect, that I could do any thing, was ignorant of nothing, and having heard the fame of the King, was come from a far country to offer my services. "You speak Persian ?" Yes, I have been some time in Persia ?" "" Can you build a fort? Can you cure a long-standing disease? Can you cast a gun? Can you shoe a horse? Can you mend my watch, which has stopped?” "All, through your Highness's iqbal, is in the reach of mortal; and what other men have done, what should prevent Bellasis from doing?"" Shahbash, faqir, he is a bold jawan this friend of yours!" "He is, your Highness, but try him, and you will find his merits exceed his words; the King of Rûm, the Shah of Persia, the Amirs of Scinde, all asked him to join them as a brother; but he would devote his sword to none, but the Lion of the Panjab." During this flourish in my behalf, two nearly naked wretches were dragged in, caught in the act of pilfering at the garden gate; they did not deny the charge, and the nose of one, and ears of the other were sentenced to be cut off. In as short a time as I can write it, the sentence was executed, and the culprits, bleeding as they were, were driven out. "Sharp work, Bellasis," observed the King, as I looked after the mutilated thieves: "We do not take life, but we punish." My heart sickened, and I ventured to remark that perhaps they were led on by hunger. A dozen voices stirred to hush me and the faqir gave me an admonitory look. "Let him alone," said Ranjît, "I like plain speaking and he is but a nya jawān. You ride well, I hear, friend ?" I have strode a horse from my youth, your Highness." "Well, you Farangis leap your horses. There is a fellow just entering who will shew you the way over that fence." I looked at the man pointed out, and recognized Nand Singh, who, as an acknowledged favorite, had been allowed to force his way in, probably to ascertain whether mention had been made of the fracas at the door. I saluted him gravely but politely, he returned the salaam with a half-surly, half defying air ; and we were all forthwith, Vazirs, Scribes, Omedwars, Plaintiffs, Defendants and prisoners, bundled out to the garden.

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The Sikhs are indubitably bad horsemen; however common

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report may say to the contrary: their horses are so hard worked, so scantily fed, and so badly bred, that they have no spirit for the rider to quell; however Nand Singh was by profession a chābuk sowār, and at Ludîanā had followed the hounds in the train of some European he had there served. Delighted at the opportunity of shewing off against me, he urged his horse to the fence pointed out by the Maharajah; but the animal being tightly curbed and bitted, failed to clear the fence, insignificant as it was, and fell heavily with his rider; I took the signal, gently touched Chânda with my heel, and springing over the barricade, wheeled round, and on my return, cleared both it and the body of my prostrate foe. In another instant I was at the feet of the Maharajah : Shahbash, Bellasis, you shall teach my Lancers. You are a Colonel now in my service, and shall have a khilat on the spot. If you are but as bold in the field as in the garden, we shall soon be good friends. But tell me, what was this squabble at the gate ?" I related the transaction simply as it happened, and Ranjît replied; "you look as if you spoke the truth, Bellasis; Nand Singh has been made too much of; and is ever daring in the wrong besides, he shewed to day that he cannot ride. But you must be careful, my palace grounds are not the scene for a tumult, nor are my guards fit subjects for experiments as to the power of your horse's heels. A day shall be fixed for you again to attend, and you will then receive a purwānah of instalment in your new office, and instructions for your conduct. Your fortune is in the ́ascendant; be prudent, and do not rashly mar it."

The Maharajah expressed this counsel as much by signs and gestures as by words; I signified my respectful ascent, and we all returned to the hall of audience. A khilat was then presented to me, consisting of eleven pieces, which included a horse and ac coutrements, a sword, a pair of shawls, a pearl necklace, a shawl chogha, and two pieces of fine muslin; the value of the whole amounting to eleven hundred rupees. These, with a bag containing a thousand rupees, were delivered to my attendants, and I was dismissed.

The words of the Maharajah were blunt, but his manner was mild and conciliating; and even had I received less flattering marks of his favour I could have been at no loss to read the impression my reception had made on the courtiers, plainly written as